Bertha Adler

Bertha Adler Bertha Adler, 95, a retired schoolteacher died Saturday, April 9, 2005. A memorial service will be later at the chapel of Westminster Oaks, with burial Tuesday at Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y. Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home (850-877-8191) is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union, 125 Broad St,18th Floor, New York, NY 10004, or Amnesty International, 5 Penn Plaza,14th floor, New York, NY 10001. The family wishes to express its gratitude to the staff members of Westminster Oaks for their exceptional care during the last few months of her life. A native and longtime resident of New York City, Bertha was a 1928 graduate of Hunter College and later received a master's from Queens College. For more than 30 years, she was an elementary-school teacher in New York City. During this time, she was active in developing the teachers union and often traveled to Albany, N.Y., to lobby for better learning conditions for students and improved salaries and benefits for teachers. She enjoyed crafts all of her life, especially, knitting, sewing, quilting, and embroidering. She was an avid reader and a strong supporter of education, encouraging young people she met to "stay in school." She took all of the boating classes offered by the Great Neck Power Squadron and often competed in sextant competitions. When her husband was invited to become a member of the Power Squadron, Bertha was told she could join only the Ladies Auxiliary. She brought suit and after nine years of struggle, the Power Squadron stopped appealing the rulings; as an organization that met in public buildings, it had to offer membership to everyone. In 1974, she was accepted as a full-fledged member of the Great Neck Power Squadron. Bertha and her husband moved to Fort Lauderdale, where Bertha became a full member of the local Coast Guard Auxiliary and served as the commander during 1984. She moved to Tallahassee in 1999. She is survived by her daughter, Ann Noll Greenberg (and husband Frank) of Tallahassee; two grandsons, David Noll (and wife Barri) of Panama City and Christopher Noll (and wife Jennifer) of Los Angeles; two great-grandchildren, Harrison Noll of Panama City and Alia Noll of Los Angeles and several beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Harry Adler; and her son, Joel Adler.